Medicare: Key to charts

** This is the coverage gap, sometimes called the "doughnut hole." While in the gap, you receive a 21 percent discount on generics and a 52.5 percent discount on brands and specialty drugs. You get out of the gap when you have spent $4,750 out of pocket for deductible, co-pays and drugs, or you and your plan together have spent approximately $6,733.

*** Ratings are 5 best, 0 worst. These Medicare ratings are based on member-satisfaction surveys, and the preventive care and other services the plans offer.

**** For prescription drug plans, if you are low-income, you have no premium in this plan. In other plans, you pay discounted premiums.

***** Plans were not included on Medicare.gov.

! Medicare has given this plan a low overall rating for 3 years in a row. Online enrollment has been disabled for low-performing plans.

Notes

1. All plans with a drug benefit offer what's often called "catastrophic" coverageafter you have paid $4,750 out of pocket. At that point, you pay $0 for covered generics, and 5 percent of cost for brands and specialty drugs. Low-income recipients may pay $0.

2. Drug co-pays are based on 30-day supplies. Mail-order co-pays are often less.